Syringe, System And Method For Delivering Oxygen-Ozone

ABSTRACT

In accordance with at least one exemplary embodiment, a syringe, method and system for delivering a therapeutic amount of ozone are disclosed. An exemplary syringe can have a gas chamber and one or more electrodes. A portion of at least one electrode can be within the gas chamber. Alternatively, singularly or in conjunction, one or both electrodes can be attached to the outside of an exemplary syringe. One or more electrical contact points can be outside the gas chamber. Each electrical contact point can be connected to an electrode. Oxygen gas can provided within the gas chamber of the exemplary syringe. A medical ozone generator can be connected to the syringe via the electrical contact points. Corona discharge can be effectuated via the electrodes, which can result in an amount of ozone gas can being produced from the oxygen gas.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/251,433 (allowed), filed Oct. 3, 2011 entitled SYRINGE, SYSTEM ANDMETHOD FOR DELIVERING OXYGEN-OZONE, which is a divisional of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/976,362, filed Oct. 24, 2007 (now U.S. Pat. No.8,057,748, issued Nov. 15, 2011), the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

Ozone is an unstable gas with a half-life of less than one hour at roomtemperature. Ozone is a powerful oxidizer. It is a known bactericide andviricide. Methods for converting oxygen to ozone involve high-voltagecorona discharge or ultraviolet light. Ozone generators making use ofsuch methods are available for industrial uses.

Ozone has a variety of industrial applications. Applications includedeodorizing air, purifying water and sterilizing medical instruments,among others. Ozone and conventional medical ozone generators are beingused therapeutically in many countries and have been so for severalyears. Such applications include, but are not limited to,autohemotherapy, rectal insufflations, intradiscal injection, injectioninto knee and shoulder joints, and full body exposure.

For example, ozone is used to treat diffuse bulging or containedherniation of the spinal disc. Spinal discs are composed of a fibrousouter ring made of Type I collagen and a softer more flexible nucleusmade of Type II collagen, proteoglycans and water. Patients with discbulging or herniation suffer from pain caused by disc compression of theneurological elements, including the spinal cord, cauda equina and nerveroots. Intradiscal ozone treatment involves direct injection of agaseous mixture of oxygen and ozone into the nucleus of the disc. Ozonereleases water from the proteoglycans, reducing disc size and relievingcompression of neurological elements. Some investigators believe thatozone stimulates anti-inflammatory mediators and initiates a healingresponse.

The mechanism of action and reported success rates of ozone treatmentfor spinal disc herniation are comparable to that of the enzymechymopapain. Chymopapain was first FDA-approved in 1983 and was widelyused with a success rate of 65-85%. A small number of seriouscomplications, including death and paralysis, caused the product to losefavor in the U.S. market.

Ozone and chymopapain are two means of performing a chemical discectomythrough a needle puncture. This minimally invasive approach may bepreferred to surgical discectomy, which requires general anesthesia anddirect access to the spinal disc.

Therapeutic ozone must be delivered shortly after being produced fromoxygen. Conventional medical ozone generators pass medical grade oxygenthrough an electric field or ultraviolet light. This process converts anamount of oxygen into ozone. Typically, a syringe is interfaced with thegenerator and ozone is withdrawn from a gas chamber of the generatorinto the syringe for subsequent injection therapy.

The preferred concentration of ozone for intradiscal injection isapproximately 6%. The concentration of ozone is important for medicaluses. If the concentration is too low, the treatment will not beeffective. If the concentration of ozone is too high, detrimentaleffects may follow.

As such, medical ozone generators include a means for measuring theconcentration of ozone. Conventional ozone generators also have meansfor controlling the concentration and delivery of ozone gas. Forexample, some generators include components that neutralize excessozone. Other generators continuously vent ozone. Conventional ozonegenerators typically include permanent and reusable electrodes. The gaschambers of conventional generators are often permanent and reusable aswell. Reusable electrodes tend to degrade over time. Sterility is anissue for present ozone generators that pass oxygen through permanentand reusable gas chambers. To address such, medical professionals havebeen known to inject the gas through a bacterial filter.

SUMMARY

According to at least one exemplary embodiment, a cell for producing anamount of ozone from oxygen is disclosed. The cell can have a syringe,which can have a gas chamber. One or more electrodes can be attached tothe syringe. One or more electrical contact points can be outside thegas chamber. Each electrical contact point can be connected to anelectrode.

In another exemplary embodiment, a method of producing an amount ofozone from oxygen is disclosed. The method can include providing oxygengas within a gas chamber of a syringe and effectuating a coronadischarge from at least one electrode. The at least one electrode can beattached to the syringe. An amount of ozone gas can be produced from theoxygen gas.

In yet another exemplary embodiment, an ozone generation system isdisclosed. The ozone generation system can include a syringe. Thesyringe can have a gas chamber. One or more electrodes can be attachedto the syringe. The electrodes can be connected to electrical contactpoints. A medical ozone generator can be connected to the syringe viaelectrical contact points.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent fromthe following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments thereof,which description should be considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1A is a side view of an exemplary syringe.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of an exemplary syringe.

FIG. 1C is another side view of an exemplary syringe.

FIG. 1D is a cross-sectional view along line A of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1E is an enlarged view of the portion circumscribed by line B ofFIG. 1B.

FIG. 2A is a side view of another exemplary syringe.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of another exemplary syringe.

FIG. 2C is another side view of another exemplary syringe.

FIG. 2D is a cross-sectional view along line A of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 2E is an enlarged view of the portion circumscribed by line B ofFIG. 2B.

FIG. 3A is a side view of yet another exemplary syringe.

FIG. 3B is an inverted perspective view of yet another exemplarysyringe.

FIG. 3C is another side view of yet another exemplary syringe.

FIG. 3D is a cross-sectional view along line A of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 3E is an enlarged inverted view of the portion circumscribed byline B of FIG. 3B.

FIG. 4A is a side view of still another exemplary syringe.

FIG. 4B is an inverted perspective view of still another exemplarysyringe.

FIG. 4C is another side view of still another exemplary syringe.

FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional view along line A of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 4E is an enlarged inverted view of the portion circumscribed byline B of FIG. 4B.

FIG. 5A is a side view of a further exemplary syringe.

FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a further exemplary syringe.

FIG. 5C is another side view of a further exemplary syringe.

FIG. 5D is a cross-sectional view along line A of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5E is an enlarged view of the portion circumscribed by line B ofFIG. 5B.

FIG. 5F is an enlarged view of the portion circumscribed by line C ofFIG. 5C.

FIG. 6A is a side view of still a further exemplary syringe.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of still a further exemplary syringe.

FIG. 6C is another side view of still a further exemplary syringe.

FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional view along line A of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 6E is an enlarged view of the portion circumscribed by line B ofFIG. 6B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description andrelated drawings directed to specific embodiments of the invention.Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spiritor the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements ofexemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detailor will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of theinvention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the descriptiondiscussion of several terms used herein follows.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example,instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as“exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the terms “embodiments ofthe invention”, “embodiment” or “invention” do not require that allembodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage ormode of operation.

Referring to FIGS. 1A-1E, a syringe in accordance with at least oneexemplary embodiment is shown. Syringe 100 can be single-use and may bereprocessable. Alternatively, syringe 100 may be multi-use withsterilization, although such embodiments would stray from current trendsin healthcare. Syringe 100 can be fabricated, in whole or in part, byany conventional molding processes known to one having ordinary skill inthe art. Syringe 100 can serve as a cell for producing an amount ofozone from oxygen when used with a suitable ozone conversion unit, asfurther described below. Syringe 100 can then be used to administer atherapeutic amount of ozone to a human or an animal as will be readilyrecognized by one having ordinary skill in the art.

Syringe 100 can include barrel 102, plunger 104 and gas chamber 106. Gaschamber 106 can be defined and bounded through the cooperation of barrel102 and plunger 104. In at least one exemplary embodiment, syringe 100can be sized to hold between 10 ml and 30 ml of fluid in gas chamber106, including between 10 ml and 30 ml of medical grade oxygen.

Barrel 102 can be made of any suitable material that allows for at leastsome UV transmission. This can allow for the passage of a UV beamthrough barrel 102 and a gas within gas chamber 106 for measuring theconcentration of ozone gas. Furthermore, barrel 102 can be constructedof any material that sufficiently balances the needs for ozoneresistance and UV resistance while still allowing for suitable UVtransmission for measuring the concentration of ozone. Flexibility inconstruction can be increased because syringe embodiments may only beexposed to ozone and UV light for a shortened/decreased period of time.

For example, barrel 102 (in which, syringe 100, as a whole, can beconstructed largely or wholly of the same) can be constructed ofpolyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene (“PTTF”, TEFLON®), polyacrylate(acrylic polymers), polycarbonate, polystyrene, styrene copolymers,polypropylene and the like known to one having ordinary skill in theart. Barrel 102 can also be made of glass, as one more non-limitingexample. In at least one exemplary embodiment, barrel 102 can be made ofpolyethylene even though polyethylene may only allow about 10% UVtransmission. A UV transmission of about 10% can be enough to measureozone concentration within gas chamber 106 with suitable accuracy.

Plunger 104 can be slidably engaged with a first open end (i.e. top end)of barrel 102. The engagement of plunger 104 with barrel 102 can definethe bounds of gas chamber 106 within syringe 100. Through slidingmovements of plunger 104 within barrel 102, a fluid, including a gaseousfluid (e.g., oxygen gas), can be drawn into and expelled from gaschamber 106. Plunger 104 can include a plunger head 108 on one end ofplunger shaft 110. On the other end of plunger shaft 110 can be plungerpiston 112. Plunger piston 112 can form a gas-tight seal with barrel102. Plunger piston 112 may be made from or covered with rubber and thelike known to one having ordinary skill in the art

Tip portion 114 can extend in fluid communication from a second end ofbarrel 102 under the control of valve 116. Valve 116 can be a stopcockvalve, as one non-limiting example. Connector 118 can be situated at thedistal end of tip portion 114. Connector 118 can be a luer fitting(e.g., press-on or twist-on) and the like known to one having ordinaryskill in the art. For example, connector 118 can be a luer lock fittingfor receiving a hypodermic needle for use in an ozone therapy.

Wire electrodes 120, 122 can extend inwardly within barrel 102. In otherembodiments, one or both electrodes may be disposed or retained on outerportions of syringe 100, as will be readily recognized by one havingordinary skill in the art. Wire electrodes 120, 122 may be made toextend inwardly by providing wire electrodes 120, 122 through barrel102. Wire electrodes can be provided through barrel 102 in a gas-tightmanner. Wire electrodes 120, 122 can be situated proximate the end ofbarrel 102 from which tip portion 114 can extend from. Placing wireelectrodes 120, 122 towards the tip end (i.e. bottom end) of barrel 102can assist or prevent plunger 104 and wire electrodes 120, 122 frominteracting in a non-beneficial manner, such as causing damage to ormisplacement of either, or compromising the gas-tight sealingfunctionality of plunger piston 112, leading to leakage. Wire electrodes120, 122 can be made of any suitable conductive material known to onehaving ordinary skill in the art. Wire electrodes 120, 122 may be solidmetal rods of a relatively simple construction, which may becost-effective. In addition, a dielectric material may cover aportion(s) of wire electrode 120 and/or 122 in at least one exemplaryembodiment.

Wire electrode 120 can extend inwardly towards the center of hollowbarrel 102 (i.e. the center of gas chamber 106) as shown incross-section. Wire electrode 120 may breach barrel 102 once and mayretain a gas-tight seal proximate the breach. Wire electrode 120 canapproach the center of gas chamber 106 in cross-section. Wire electrode120 can be the discharge electrode. The end of wire electrode 120situated within gas chamber 106 can form a sharp point. Alternatively,the end of wire electrode 120 can be blunt.

Wire electrode 122 can extend inwardly and can transverse a crosssection of gas chamber 106. Wire electrode 122 can be straight (asshown) or can be curved. Wire electrode 122 may breach barrel 102 twiceand may retain gas-tight seals proximate the breaches. Wire electrode122 may transverse a cross section of gas chamber 106 off-center. Wireelectrode 120 and wire electrode 122 can exist in a substantiallyperpendicular relationship without contacting one another. In otherwords, wire electrode 120 and wire electrode 122 can extend from and/orenter barrel 102 at approximately a right angle. Wire electrodes 120,122 can also be disposed at substantially the same planar orientation incross-section. Wire electrode 122 can be the ground electrode forcompleting a circuit and may be used to sustain the current flow.

Electrical contact points 124, 126 can be disposed on the outside ofbarrel 102, as well as various other positions as will be readilyrecognized to one having ordinary skill in the art. Electrical contactpoint 124 can be connected with wire electrode 120. Electrical contactpoint 124 may be an integral portion of wire electrode 120. Electricalcontact points 126 can be disposed on opposite ends of wire electrode122 outside of syringe 100. Electrical contact points 126 can beconnected to wire electrode 122 and may be integral portions thereof.

Either or both of electrical contact points 126 and electrical contactpoint 124 can be connected to an ozone generation unit for effectuatinga corona discharge via wire electrodes 120, 122. Wire electrode 120 canbe the discharge electrode and wire electrode 122 can be the groundelectrode. The corona discharge can be used to produce an amount ofozone from oxygen within gas chamber 106. A user can predetermine theamount (e.g., concentration) of ozone desired through operation of asuitable ozone conversion unit. For example, therapeutic levels forintradiscal injection may be up to 6% ozone by volume and suchconcentrations may be selected by a user of a suitable ozone conversionunit.

Referring to FIGS. 2A-2E, another syringe in accordance with at leastone exemplary embodiment is shown. Similar to syringe 100 of FIGS. 1A-1Ein construction and operation, syringe 200 can include barrel 202,plunger 204, gas chamber 206, plunger head 208, plunger shaft 210,plunger piston 212, tip portion 214, valve 216, connector 218, electrode220, and electrical contact point 224. A redundant of description oflike elements does not bear repeating here.

Foil electrode 222 can be disposed on a portion of the inner wall ofbarrel 202. Foil electrode 222 can be curved (as shown), for example,consistent with the curvature of the inner wall of barrel 202.Alternatively, foil electrode 222 can be linear. Foil electrode 222 canbe relatively thin as is a known characteristic of foil electrodes ingeneral. Foil electrode 222 can be situated towards the tip end (bottomend) of barrel 202. Nevertheless, foil electrode 222 can encompass anarea of barrel 202 expected to contact plunger piston 212 of plunger 204at certain times, when in use. The relatively thin nature of foilelectrode 222 can hinder or prevent non-beneficial interaction betweenthe two. Wire electrode 220 can extend towards and approach a face offoil electrode 222. Foil electrode 222 can be the ground electrode.

Electrical contact point 226 can be disposed on the outside of barrel202, as well as various other positions as will be readily recognized byone having ordinary skill in the art. As shown, electrical contact point226 can be situated on a bottom portion of barrel 202. Electricalcontact point 226 can be connected to foil electrode 222. Electricalcontact point 226 may be an integral portion of foil electrode 222.Electrical contact point 226 can be thicker or thinner then theremainder of foil electrode 222. Alternatively, foil electrode 222 andelectrical contact point 226 can be of substantially the same thickness,which may vary.

Foil electrode 222 can be a one-piece insert having electrical contactpoint 226. Foil electrode 222 can breach barrel 202 so as to have a faceon a portion of the wall of barrel 202 and the electrical contact point226 on the outside of barrel 202. Foil electrode 222 can breach barrel202 in a gas-tight manner.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-3E, yet another syringe in accordance with atleast one exemplary embodiment is shown. Similar to syringe 100 of FIGS.1A-1E in construction and operation, syringe 300 can include barrel 302,plunger 304, gas chamber 306, plunger head 308, plunger shaft 310,plunger piston 312, tip portion 314, valve 316, connector 318, electrode320 and electrical contact point 324. A redundant of description of likeelements does not bear repeating here.

Foil electrode 322 can be disposed on a portion of the outer wall ofbarrel 302. Foil electrode 322 can be attached to barrel 302 by anymeans known to one having ordinary skill in the art. As shown, foilelectrode 332 can be situated proximate the bottom end (tip end) ofbarrel 302. Foil electrode 322 can be substantially the same size as theportion of foil electrode 222 of FIGS. 2A-2E within barrel 202 and canbe likewise relatively thin. Alternatively, foil electrode 322 may bethicker. Because foil electrode 322 can be disposed outside of barrel302, it is expected that it will have no effect on the operation ofplunger 304. Wire electrode 320 can extend towards and approach a faceof foil electrode 322 with a portion of barrel 302 interposed therebetween. Foil electrode 322 can be the ground electrode.

Referring to FIGS. 4A-4E, yet another syringe in accordance with atleast one exemplary embodiment is shown. Similar to syringe 100 of FIGS.1A-1E in construction and operation, syringe 400 can include barrel 402,plunger 404, gas chamber 406, plunger head 408, plunger shaft 410,plunger piston 412, tip portion 414, valve 416, connector 418, electrode420 and electrical contact point 424. A redundant of description of likeelements does not bear repeating here.

Syringe 400 can further include a second electrode 420 and a secondelectrical contact point 424 connected thereto. As one having ordinaryskill in the art will readily recognize having the benefit of the abovedescription of syringe 100 in conjunction with FIGS. 1A-1E, wireelectrodes 420 can extend inwardly within barrel 402. Wire electrodes420 may be made to extend inwardly by providing wire electrodes 420through barrel 402. Wire electrodes can be provided through barrel 402in a gas-tight manner. Wire electrode 420 can be situated proximate thebottom portion of barrel 402. Placing wire electrodes 420 towards thetip end (bottom end) of barrel 402 can assist in preventing plunger 404and wire electrodes 420 from interacting in a non-beneficial manner,such as causing damage to or misplacement of either, or compromising thegas-tight functionality of plunger piston 412, leading to leakage. Wireelectrodes 420 may also act as a stopper for plunger 404, although suchcontact may be undesirable.

Wire electrodes 420 can extend inwardly towards the center of hollowbarrel 402 as shown in cross-section. Wire electrodes 420 can approachthe center of gas chamber 406 in cross-section. Wire electrodes 420 canexist in a substantially opposing relationship without contacting oneanother. Wire electrodes 420 may also be disposed at substantially thesame planar orientation in cross-section. Each of wire electrodes 420may breach barrel 402 once and may retain a gas-tight seal proximate thebreach. Wire electrodes 420 can approach the center of gas chamber 406.

Either of wire electrodes 420 can be the discharge electrode dependingon the connection to an oxygen conversion unit. The other electrode 420can then function as the ground electrode. The ends of wire electrodes420 situated within gas chamber 406 can form a sharp point.Alternatively, the ends of wire electrodes 420 can be blunt or acombination of one sharp end and one blunt end, respectively.

Electrical contact points 424 can be disposed on the outside of barrel402, as well as various other positions, as will be readily recognizedto one having ordinary skill in the art. Electrical contact points 424can be disposed at approximately 180 degrees from each other on barrel402. Electrical contact points 424 can be respectively connected withwire electrodes 420 and may be integral portions thereof.

Referring to FIGS. 5A-5F, syringe 500 can include barrel 502, plunger504, gas chamber 506, plunger head 508, plunger shaft 510, plungerpiston 512, tip portion 514, valve 516, connector 518, electrodes 520and electrical contact points 524. Syringe 500 can be similar to syringe400 of FIGS. 4A-4E in material aspects, including construction andoperation. A difference can be that wire electrodes 520 can be angled.Electrodes 520 can be angled downwards proximate the inner bottomportion of barrel 502, thus, not strictly occupying substantially thesame planar orientation in cross-section. As a result, the bottomportion of barrel 502 can be shaped so as to accommodate angledelectrodes 520. For example, barrel 502 can be shaped to have a conicalbottom portion. This configuration may further assist in preventingplunger piston 512 and electrodes 520 from contacting one another. Anyfurther redundant description of like elements does not bear repeatinghere.

Referring to FIGS. 6A-6E, yet another syringe in accordance with atleast one exemplary embodiment is shown. Similar to syringe 100 of FIGS.1A-1E in construction and operation, syringe 600 can include barrel 602,plunger 604, gas chamber 606, plunger head 608, plunger shaft 610,plunger piston 612, tip portion 614, valve 616 and connector 618. Aredundant of description of like elements does not bear repeating here.

Syringe 600 can include first and second foil electrodes 620. Foilelectrodes 620 can be elongated and generally resembling strips inconfiguration. Foil electrodes 620 can be disposed on a portion of theinner wall of barrel 602. In at least one other exemplary embodiment,foil electrodes can be disposed on portions of the outer wall of barrel602 (not shown). As shown, foil electrodes 620 can be disposed onopposing portions of the inner wall of barrel 602. A face of each offoil electrodes 620 can be in an opposing relationship. Also, foilelectrodes 620 may vertically transverse a midportion of barrel 602.

As such, foil electrodes 620 can encompass an area of barrel 602expected to contact plunger piston 612 of plunger 604 at certain times,when in use. The relatively thin nature of foil electrodes 620 canhinder or prevent non-beneficial interaction between the foil electrodes620 and plunger piston 612.

Electrical contact surfaces/points 624 can be disposed on the outside ofbarrel 602, as well as various other positions, as will be readilyrecognized by one having ordinary skill in the art. As shown, electricalcontact surfaces 624 can be situated on opposite side portions of barrel602. Electrical contact surfaces 624 can be respectively connected tofoil electrodes 620 and may be integral portions thereof. Electricalcontact surfaces 624 can be narrower than the faces of foil electrodes620. Electrical contact surfaces 624 can be thicker in diameter then theremainder of foil electrodes 620. Alternatively, foil electrodes 620 andelectrical contact surfaces 624 can be of substantially the same widthand/or thickness, both of which may vary.

Foil electrodes 620 can be one-piece inserts (e.g., molded inserts)having electrical contact surfaces 624. Foil electrodes 620 can breachbarrel 602 so as to have a face on a portion of the inner wall of barrel602 and the electrical contact surfaces 624 on the outside of barrel602. Foil electrodes 620 can breach barrel 602 in a gas-tight manner.

Either of foil electrodes 620 can be the discharge electrode dependingon the connection to an oxygen conversion unit. The other electrode 620can then function as the ground electrode.

The disclosures of unpublished patent application Ser. Nos. 11/527,414(Hooper) and 11/727,978 (Hooper, et al.) entitled “SYSTEM FOR DELIVERINGOZONE” and “APPARATUS, METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DELIVERING OXYGEN-OZONE”,respectively, are incorporated by reference herein in their entireties.As will be recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art, syringesin accordance with at least one embodiment of the present disclosure canbe suitably designed to functionally replace exemplary sterile vials(i.e. oxygen-ozone cells) of the '414 application for use with exemplaryozone conversion units as otherwise disclosed (and further describedherein below), with or without ordinary modification, in the '414application. Alternatively, conventional ozone generators, with orwithout ordinary modification, can be used to convert a portion ofoxygen to ozone within syringes in accordance with embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

There may not be a need to remove excess ozone from an ozone generatorbecause the amount of ozone needed (without substantial excess) can beproduced directly in an exemplary syringe. An exemplary syringe adaptedfor direct cooperation with a medical ozone generator can decreasemanufacturing costs by combining the functionality of an ozone cell(e.g., sterile vial) with a therapeutic delivery instrument (e.g., aconventional syringe). The relatively simple design of one or more ofthe exemplary syringes described above can also decrease manufacturingcosts. Simplicity of design may also decrease leakage incidents.

Moreover, syringe embodiments can be suitably designed to functionallyreplace exemplary oxygen-ozone cells of the '978 application. Suchembodiments can be filled with concentrated oxygen using exemplaryapparatuses for concentrating oxygen from air as otherwise disclosed,with or without ordinary modification, in the '978 application.Alternatively, oxygen can be supplied to exemplary syringes by any othermeans known to one having ordinary skill in the art. As a couplenon-limiting examples, medical grade oxygen can be supplied from supplytanks or hospital supply lines.

An exemplary ozone conversion unit may include an ozone UV measurementassembly, a data input mechanism such as a dial to allow the user toselect a desired ozone concentration, and a data display to displayinput and output data such as desired concentrations and measurements.After a syringe according to at least one exemplary embodiment isengaged to the ozone conversion unit, an ozone concentration may beselected and power applied to effect corona discharge and the resultantconversion of oxygen to the selected concentration of ozone. Anexemplary syringe may then be disengaged, thus allowing for therapeutictreatment. Embodiments may be employed in any of a variety of situationsincluding, for example, the therapeutic treatment of humans or animalsby way of injection.

The ozone conversion unit may be used to convert an amount of oxygencontained in an exemplary syringe to ozone by facilitating power. Ozoneconversion unit may include a high voltage transformer. In an exemplaryembodiment, the high voltage transformer may have a potential differenceof about 3-25 kV. The high voltage transformer may be connected to apower source and to another set of electrical contact points. In anotherexemplary embodiment, electrical contact points may be arranged toreversibly interface with the electrical contacts of an exemplarysyringe.

The ozone conversion unit may further include a dial, a UV measurementassembly and a data display. The UV measurement assembly may includecomponents relating to measurements using UV absorption techniques,whereby a beam is passed through the ozone and oxygen mixture to bereceived by a detector. Such a beam may have a wavelength within a rangeon the UV spectrum known to those skilled in the art to be absorbed byozone such as ranges UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C. In an exemplary embodiment, abeam having wavelengths of about 253.7 nm, within the bounds of the UV-Crange, may be used. Also, in an exemplary embodiment, a mercury vaporlamp may be used to measure the concentration of ozone. An alternativeexemplary embodiment may employ a UV light emitting diode or otherinstruments known to one having ordinary skill in UV absorptiontechniques. An exemplary detector may be a photodiode or other photodetecting instruments known to those having ordinary skill in the art.The dial may be used to regulate or input a desired ozone concentration.An exemplary therapeutically effective concentration of ozone is 6% orless by volume. An exemplary syringe may be constructed to be receivedby the ozone conversion unit in such a way that orients an exemplarysyringe for successful UV measurement.

In an exemplary embodiment, the electrical contact points may besituated to interface with the interior of a receptacle formed in theozone conversion unit that is capable of receiving an exemplary syringe.The UV measurement assembly may be arranged to orient a UV measurementbeam axially through and along the receptacle to be received by a UVdetector. In an alternative embodiment, the UV measurement assembly maybe arranged to orient the UV measurement beam through receptacletransversely. A further exemplary embodiment may include a door to beclosed upon or around an engaged exemplary syringe, thereby reducingambient light from infiltrating the receptacle and interfering with UVdetector.

The data display may be used to display measurement data collected by UVmeasurement assembly, indicate power status, or convey other relevantinformation such as input data or to confirm engagement of an exemplarysyringe within the ozone conversion unit and operating pressures. Thedata display may be used to display any information or data that may beuseful to one having ordinary skill in the art. The ozone conversionunit may be constructed to receive power, which can be made to passthrough the high voltage transformer, and both sets of electricalcontact points, thereby causing the corona discharge assembly to actupon the oxygen contained by an exemplary syringe and effect theselected concentration of ozone.

Optionally, the exemplary ozone conversion unit may also be constructedto detect nitrogen oxides (NOx). If an exemplary syringe is contaminatedwith nitrogen, for example, due to ingress of air from such causes as aleak within the syringe or improper functioning of a filling apparatusand system, then NOx will be produced by charging with the ozoneconversion unit. Absorption techniques can be used to indirectly detectnitrogen ingress into the syringe prior to charging. While nitrogenitself is optically transparent, NO_(x) molecules, which will be createdfrom the ionization of nitrogen and oxygen, absorb light at variousfrequencies between 227 and 550 mm Many NO bands overlap with that ofozone making it difficult to isolate these oxides. However, NO, hasabsorption bands (400-550 nm) that are distinct from ozone (253.7 nm)making it well suited to detect nitrogen ingress and formation ofNO_(x)'s.

Also optionally, an exemplary ozone conversion unit or an exemplarysyringe may be constructed to measure leaks within the syringe becauseat least one visual indicator or sensor for measuring changes inpressure known to those having ordinary skill in the art may be suitableplaced for such a purpose. Moreover, the dialectric property of gasesmay provide another way to measure the amount of nitrogen potentiallywithin the syringe. Oxygen and nitrogen have different dialecticconstants and may be detected based on this difference.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings illustrate theprinciples, preferred embodiments and modes of operation of theinvention. However, the invention should not be construed as beinglimited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additionalvariations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art.

Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded asillustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should beappreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by thoseskilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention asdefined by the following claims.

1. A cell for producing an amount of ozone from oxygen, comprising: asyringe having a gas chamber; a first wire electrode attached to thesyringe; a second wire electrode attached to the syringe; at least oneelectrical contact point outside the gas chamber, the at least oneelectrical contact point connected to at least one of the first wireelectrode and the second wire electrode.
 2. The cell of claim 1 whereinthe at least one electrical contact point is integral to at least one ofthe first wire electrode and second wire electrode.
 3. The cell of claim1 wherein the first wire electrode extends inwardly within the gaschamber.
 4. The cell of claim 1 wherein the second wire electrode fullytransverses the gas chamber of the syringe in cross-section.
 5. The cellof claim 1 wherein the second wire electrode extends inwardly within thegas chamber, the second wire electrode substantially opposing the firstwire electrode.
 6. The cell of claim 4, wherein the second wireelectrode breaches the gas chamber twice while maintain a gas tight sealproximate the breaches.
 7. The cell of claim 4, wherein the second wireelectrode transverses the cross section of the gas chamber off-center.8. The cell of claim 1, wherein the second wire electrode is a groundelectrode.
 9. The cell of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of atleast one of the first and second wire electrodes is covered in adielectric material
 10. The cell of claim 1 wherein the first wireelectrode and the second wire electrode lie within substantially thesame planar space of the gas chamber of the syringe in cross-section.11. The cell of claim 1 wherein the first wire electrode and the secondwire electrode are situated within the gas chamber at a bottom end of abarrel of the syringe.
 12. A method of producing an amount of ozone fromoxygen, comprising: providing oxygen gas within a gas chamber of asyringe; breaching the syringe with a first wire electrode such that apoint of the first wire electrode extends inwardly toward a center ofthe gas chamber; breaching the syringe with a second wire electrode suchthat the second wire electrode transverses a cross section of the gaschamber and is in a substantially perpendicular relationship with thefirst wire electrode; effectuating a corona discharge from at least oneof the first wire electrode and the second wire electrode; and producingan amount of ozone gas from the oxygen gas.
 13. The method of claim 12wherein the amount of ozone gas is a therapeutic amount of ozone. 14.The method of claim 12 further comprising: measuring a concentration forthe amount of ozone gas produced.